I was a huge fan of 3.0 and 3.5 psionics, even though I felt that psionics as a whole, was underpowered, when compared to magic. I know there were some horribly broken things that were legit per RAW, but I never used those. 3.5 fixed many of them, but still seemed like magic's red-headed step child, in terms of power equivalency.
Thematically, I love all of the psionic classes. I love the concept of psicrystals, crystal weapons, astral constructs, etc. I also believe that for psionics to work, you have to use the psionics = magic rule. Toward that end, I'd like to see psionics as being on par with magic. Perhaps one is better than the other in some areas, but don't give me a third-level psionic power fireball, and make it do 10d4 damage. That's just stupid.
That being said, for you guys who have purchased Psionics Unleashed, how have you found it to be, in terms of balance, enjoyability, and ease of integration? I'm hoping it's roughly equal to magic, but not overpowered or broken.
I believe that Psionics Unleashed is as least as balanced vs. Pathfinder as 3.5 psionics was vs. 3.5 core. And Dreamscarred's Psionics Expanded shows they mean to keep up with Pathfinder additions and expansions, IMO.
I think d20pfsrd.com has the rules up, if you want to look them over before buying. I think you'll be happy with them.
If you like the Expanded Psionics handbook, and you like what Pathfinder has done with the 3.5 ruleset, then you will love their psionics rules.
I like it, though it's uneven.
Some of the updates are great, the soulknife is something I might actually play now and is the most dramatic change. The psychic warrior was updated well and has some really cool options, though they contain rule exceptions that aren't really explained. The psion really didn't need extra powers, they're given school powers like a wizard but instead of just writing out unique powers they're all like "use X power at will...but it's different in ways A,B,C" it would have been better if they just wrote out the at will powers.
A lot of the balance problems that were genuinely present in XPH are still there, if toned down a tad. It's still an incredibly versatile system that can be abused.
I also don't like the softcover, it'll fall apart quickly if you use it regularly like I do, and it's not the same dimensions as a PF book. Nitpicky perhaps but it matters to me :P.
It seems to be very easily abusable I quickly banned it after giving it a trial run, I could have been over-reacting though, but you might want to be careful if you have power-gamers in your group.
We're all a bunch of old dudes who've been playing for over 20 years, so we're well past the power gaming stage. Sounds pretty cool - I'll have to check it out.
Thanks for all the input.
Are the gem dragons represented in any Dreamscarred Press or Paizo publications?
It seems to be very easily abusable I quickly banned it after giving it a trial run, I could have been over-reacting though, but you might want to be careful if you have power-gamers in your group.
I would love to hear specific problems. We've issued errata on rules issues as they are brought to our attention. If we don't hear about them, then we can't change them. :)
Feel free to bring them up here or you can email me directly on them.
Are the gem dragons represented in any Dreamscarred Press or Paizo publications?
The Gem Dragons are product identity of Wizards of the Coast and therefore cannot be republished without a license from Wizards. In other words, not in any Dreamscarred Press product, and not to my knowledge for Paizo products.
The psion really didn't need extra powers, they're given school powers like a wizard but instead of just writing out unique powers they're all like "use X power at will...but it's different in ways A,B,C" it would have been better if they just wrote out the at will powers.
That will be fixed when we combine Psionics Unleashed and Psionics Expanded. Given the size of Dreamscarred Press (2 guys who also have day jobs), we didn't have the time to fully implement 0-level powers like we wanted for Psionics Unleashed. And to be fair, that mostly only covers what are effectively psionic cantrips ;) There are other abilities that the psion gets that are unique.
As for the softcover - I'll agree on the size. Our printer didn't make 8.5x11 available until after it was released... Psionics Expanded will be 8.5x11. And the combination of Psionics Expanded and Psionics Unleashed will be 8.5x11
That being said, for you guys who have purchased Psionics Unleashed, how have you found it to be, in terms of balance, enjoyability, and ease of integration? I'm hoping it's roughly equal to magic, but not overpowered or broken.
As mentioned, feel free to check it out on d20pfsrd. All the rules are up there. :) Have any questions, feel free to ask away, I frequent this forum daily, and if you find a loophole or something that can be abused, we'll take it as something to look into as a possible errata.
Are the gem dragons represented in any Dreamscarred Press or Paizo publications?
Well... not GEM dragons Ashenfall... but be on the look-out for an upcoming Dreamscarred Press softcover. :)
Jeremy of course has the right of it, the Gem Dragons are considered WotC IP and cannot be republished as he has stated above.
Ooooohhh... I really, really can't wait for
Heh heh ... okay... I guess I've teased enough. :)
Dean
The psion really didn't need extra powers, they're given school powers like a wizard but instead of just writing out unique powers they're all like "use X power at will...but it's different in ways A,B,C" it would have been better if they just wrote out the at will powers.That will be fixed when we combine Psionics Unleashed and Psionics Expanded. Given the size of Dreamscarred Press (2 guys who also have day jobs), we didn't have the time to fully implement 0-level powers like we wanted for Psionics Unleashed. And to be fair, that mostly only covers what are effectively psionic cantrips ;) There are other abilities that the psion gets that are unique.
As for the softcover - I'll agree on the size. Our printer didn't make 8.5x11 available until after it was released... Psionics Expanded will be 8.5x11. And the combination of Psionics Expanded and Psionics Unleashed will be 8.5x11
Well for example turning Conceal Thoughts into an at-will power means an effective +10 to social bluff checks to Telepaths from level 1. I would have just had telepaths get half their level on Bluff or Diplomacy or something of that nature. Whereas using Mind Thrust as a free power only does 1d6, which is unnecessarily low considering the checks on its power already (PR,save for none,mind-affecting). For the most part the discipline powers are very cool, I just would have tweaked them to keep them in line with the mechanics already in place in PF, that's all.
As for the new book, that's great news! Now you just need it in hardback.
For the record I do know your guys' sitch and I really appreciate what hard work you put into your product. It's obvious you have a love for it, and considering your limitations I consider it a triumph. Nonetheless for something that a GM has to put his faith into in order to play with, it's just not up to par with Paizo in many regards.
Is Psionics Expanded analogous to the Advanced Player's Guide?
And, are PU and PE being combined into one new book, or simply two books republished in one binding?
Is a free power equivalent to a talent? Because Mind Thrust as it reads would seem completely OP if it weren't save for none and PR. It's the fighter-neutralizer, though. I like it.
After having played a blue aegis in We Be Goblins... yeah, I could easily describe him as "overpowered." ^.^ I mean, consider that an aegis starts out at first level with two free suits of masterwork armor that cannot be taken away from him, has the ability to repair anything for no cost, can have an infinite-ammo ranged attack, has two extra stat points that can be switched between Str, Dex, and Con... it quite put my players and GM off the book, I'm afraid.
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Again, I'm open to hearing about problems that might need to be modified. This is, however, the first I've heard about it being a problem. And the aegis went through pretty extensive community feedback.
Most major components of Psionics Expanded are posted online absolutely free and open for review for months before being released. We encourage and actively seek feedback - as shown by the thread that I try to keep regularly updated.
And, with regards to balance, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the Summoner, as Eidolon Evolutions are where we drew from for a comparison perspective for Customizations - you'll note that Ability Increase is available for 2 evolution points and does the same thing... and the ranged attack is mundane, non-masterwork damage...
I'm not trying to reject your feedback, but I am trying to put things into perspective, as the Aegis was based off the same concept that Paizo published as an archetype for the Summoner (Summoner + Eidolon combined), which is partly why the Aegis moved from being based on natural attacks to being based on manufactured weapons...
Again, I'm open to feedback - specific examples of what is a problem help to identify if an errata or change needs to be issued, but if you don't mention it to us, then we have to assume that our internal playtesting and the playtesting done by those who do give us feedback has uncovered the majority of problems.
:)
Is Psionics Expanded analogous to the Advanced Player's Guide?
And, are PU and PE being combined into one new book, or simply two books republished in one binding?
Is a free power equivalent to a talent? Because Mind Thrust as it reads would seem completely OP if it weren't save for none and PR. It's the fighter-neutralizer, though. I like it.
So three questions, three answers:
1) Yes
2) They are being integrated. What I mean by that is things like the Talent system of Psionics Expanded will be retrofitted to Psionics Unleashed, where we had sort of hacked-together pseudo-talents, because we didn't have the time or resources to fully flesh it out for Psionics Unleashed. Mind Thrust does not currently have a Talent option, which is one of the items that will need to be reconciled when we refit the Psion disciplines to conform to the Talents of Psionics Expanded. It will not be two separate books in one big binding, but two books consolidated into one - so only one races chapter, one classes chapter, etc.
3) Talents are 0th-level powers (i.e. cantrips / orisons) and are introduced in Psionics Expanded: Unlimited Possibilities. The specific implementation of Talents was actually given as a variety of options based upon GM preference, but basically, it's at-will, like cantrips, and typically reserved for the low-power / limited combat usage powers. Powers like Detect Magic and Far Hand were converted into Talents. Energy Splash was created - where Energy Ray does 1d6, Energy Splash does 1d3. Similar to the wizard cantrips.
Hope that helps.
And, like I posted above, the Psionics Expanded project is ongoing - we're currently discussing mechanics of the Marksman based upon feedback from fans - and there's still lots of time to tweak things for the final book. We try to get everything in the Alpha and Beta playtesting, but we have limited staff resources (two part-time, and that's it), and the volunteers who so graciously provide their time and energy, and we're always looking for more feedback.
Again, I'm open to hearing about problems that might need to be modified. This is, however, the first I've heard about it being a problem. And the aegis went through pretty extensive community feedback.
Most major components of Psionics Expanded are posted online absolutely free and open for review for months before being released. We encourage and actively seek feedback - as shown by the thread that I try to keep regularly updated.
And, with regards to balance, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the Summoner, as Eidolon Evolutions are where we drew from for a comparison perspective for Customizations - you'll note that Ability Increase is available for 2 evolution points and does the same thing... and the ranged attack is mundane, non-masterwork damage...
I'm not trying to reject your feedback, but I am trying to put things into perspective, as the Aegis was based off the same concept that Paizo published as an archetype for the Summoner (Summoner + Eidolon combined), which is partly why the Aegis moved from being based on natural attacks to being based on manufactured weapons...
Again, I'm open to feedback - specific examples of what is a problem help to identify if an errata or change needs to be issued, but if you don't mention it to us, then we have to assume that our internal playtesting and the playtesting done by those who do give us feedback has uncovered the majority of problems.
:)
It may just be that the little guy was overpowered in comparison to the ordinary goblin characters everyone else was playing. Also, I rolled really well on ability scores. :)
I plan to talk the others into trying some playtest combats with an aegis and maybe some of the other classes, we'll see how it works out.
It may just be that the little guy was overpowered in comparison to the ordinary goblin characters everyone else was playing. Also, I rolled really well on ability scores. :)
I plan to talk the others into trying some playtest combats with an aegis and maybe some of the other classes, we'll see how it works out.
Please do :)
The marksman, for comparison, was playtested in 3.5 and updated to Pathfinder (overhauled might be a more appropriate term, given the design paradigm of 3.5 classes vs pathfinder...), and we've issued post-release errata on the Vitalist based upon player feedback to fix some problems.
So we're totally open to feedback - especially if we can get it in before the full book.
Sounds like a product that I could really dig.
The criticisms so far seem to fall into two categories:
- Specific power seems overpowered in niche circumstance(s)
- GM not requiring even character creation methods, such as point-buy
I don't see either as a problem pertaining to the product. I'm going to have to delve in once I get the fundage. The question being, and not to sound like a cheapo, but would I be better off waiting until the two books are combined, so that I have the most updated, comprehensive guide, before buying?
The question being, and not to sound like a cheapo, but would I be better off waiting until the two books are combined, so that I have the most updated, comprehensive guide, before buying?
I'll try not to be a salesman.
The compilation is likely not going to be available for 6+ months at this time. We still have half of Psionics Expanded to get out in initial release, then the compilation of Psionics Expanded to get out, then finally the integration of the two. And we're going to be hiring someone to do the layout, rather than having me, with my limited skills at layout, doing it.
So it really depends on the timeframe you're talking about.
For the integrated Unleashed + Expanded book, will there be a PDF?
Of course.
And we're going to be hiring someone to do the layout, rather than having me, with my limited skills at layout, doing it.
May I recommend Chuck Wright from Frog God Games? He does layout for them AND (last I heard) was looking for a j-o-b.
And we're going to be hiring someone to do the layout, rather than having me, with my limited skills at layout, doing it.May I recommend Chuck Wright from Frog God Games? He does layout for them AND (last I heard) was looking for a j-o-b.
Thanks! We've been having Erik Nowak doing our layout for a few projects to help speed up the process - if he does that, it lets me work on other products - it's always a matter of budget - me doing it is free, after all. ;)
As with everything freelance, it comes down to rates and timeframes. And who knows if he'll still be looking in ~6 months. But I'll keep it in mind!
Overall I like Dreamscarred Press's Psionics Unleashed. Though I wish that they would add it to Hero Lab!
The question being, and not to sound like a cheapo, but would I be better off waiting until the two books are combined, so that I have the most updated, comprehensive guide, before buying?I'll try not to be a salesman.
The compilation is likely not going to be available for 6+ months at this time. We still have half of Psionics Expanded to get out in initial release, then the compilation of Psionics Expanded to get out, then finally the integration of the two. And we're going to be hiring someone to do the layout, rather than having me, with my limited skills at layout, doing it.
So it really depends on the timeframe you're talking about.
For the integrated Unleashed + Expanded book, will there be a PDF?Of course.
Will the Integrated pdf be available at a discount if we already own Unleashed and prefer to wait and go directly from Unleashed -> Integrated rather than going Unleashed + Expanded?
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Overall I like Dreamscarred Press's Psionics Unleashed. Though I wish that they would add it to Hero Lab!
It's not perfect, and you may have already seen it, but this fan project version has been serving me well...
User Project Thread for DSP Psionics
As of Dec 11, they were supposed to be fairly close to complete.
I still can't believe that the first posting dude said. "I felt as a whole psionics are underpowered"Just Whoaaaaaaa
Well, Joey, you might want to go back and re-read my post a little bit more closely, because that's not what I said. ;)
To clarify, I "felt" that when Bruce Cordell did the 3.0 version of psionics, that the power equivalency for direct-damage powers was weak, as a whole. If you had a fireball analogue, it would have been doing 10d4 damage, for no other apparent reason, than that WotC wouldn't approve a 3rd type of magic that could even rival "magic."
I also noted that there were powers that were horribly broken, despite being RAW-legal. 3.5 fixed a great deal of that, but I still felt that it was a bit weak. Psychic Wars had too few power points, soulknives were "meh," etc. I even felt that psions had fewer known powers than sorcerers, but didn't have any extra "castings" per day.
I'm looking forward to integrating Jeremy's take on psionics into my game. Not sure how soon I'll have the opportunity, but I loves me some psionics.